The invention relates to structure of bowling lanes, on which the very popular game of bowling is played. Such lanes typically have cross-member supports, an upper surface which includes an approach and foul line at one end, a bowling bed, a pin zone, and gutters abutting each lateral edge of the bed. The object of the game is to roll a ball from the approach, along the elongated bed, into the pin zone, and knock down as many pins as possible.
In conventional bowling balls laterally misdirected fall into the gutter and cannot knock down any pins. While such "gutter balls" are merely a test of skill to seasoned bowlers, they can be very discouraging to very young persons, elderly persons, novices and disabled persons. Such persons may bowl entire games without knocking down a single pin, become highly discouraged and give up bowling. As these persons may have substantial amounts of leisure time, and may benefit from the exercise of bowling, discouragement of such customers is undesirable. Accordingly, the game of bumper bowling (sometimes called carom bowling, has evolved).
A game of bumper bowling is played similar to conventional bowling (the object remains to knock down pins) except that balls are prevented from entering the gutter, typically by large inflatable cylinders disposed in the gutters or various other complex mechanical apparatus. Such apparatus not only deflects misdirected balls back to the pin zone, but may be intentionally used to redirect the angle at which the ball approaches the pin zone to accomplish "trick shots". Accordingly, bumper bowling is preferred by some persons who have no incapacity to engage in conventional bowling.
The capital cost of bowling lanes being substantial it is highly impractical to build differing sets of lanes, one set exclusively for conventional bowling and another set exclusively for bumper bowling. Rather it is highly desirable to build one set of lanes which is easily convertible at will for either conventional, or for bumper bowling.
Many previous apparatus and/or method to provide such convertible bowling lanes are indurable, complex, expensive, labor intensive, create storage problems and/or esthetically displeasing.